'Tis the season - to be jolly, joyful, and full of stress. Every job must be completed before the holidays, and it's your responsibility to see that everything goes perfectly. 'Tis the time of year when most home fashion professionals are overloaded with work. How can you enjoy the holidays when you have so much to get done for other people? And how can you possibly be expected to also promote your business during this busy time?

Most of us don't. When we are busy with a lot of design projects, we don't have the time to do our regular business promotions. Some designers think: "I have a lot of business, so why do I need to spend time on promoting?" or "I'll take care of marketing if I get slow." or "I would like to do some promotions, but I simply can't find the time now."

The problem with these thoughts is:

An ultra-successful business requires consistent, steady, recurring marketing (even when we are too busy).

I'm sure you realize that placing just one ad in a local paper is not going to create long-term success; your ad needs to be seen consistently to get lasting results. It's like building a strong foundation. The longer your promotion goes on (the longer prospects continue to see your ads), the more powerful the credibility and confidence in your company. This is why marketing experts suggest that you run your ads over and over.

If you were running a recurring ad in a newspaper, and you took it out for a few months, chances are you would have to start over - from scratch - rebuilding your foundation. This is very costly and time-consuming. The most effective way to keep your business going is to market continually and consistently.

So how do we do that when we are so busy? Here are a few ideas to reflect upon:

* Set it and forget it

Newspapers and magazines allow you to purchase recurring ads. Set up a long-term contract, so you know that your promotion is going on continuously - keeping you in homeowners' minds, even through your busy rush.

* Email newsletters

If you send out newsletters, don't neglect this month. To save time, you can recycle an old article (like I just did!). You don't need to write anything new. The most important thing is to get the newsletter out!

* Just make a phone call

One of my favorite (and most successful) marketing ideas is calling past clients. Gather a list of your favorite ones, and call to say happy holidays. Your quick phone calls will remind clients of your products and services. And what a great time of year to do that (bonuses are received now, and homeowners are fantasizing about what to spend theirs on)!

Give yourself the gift of a long-lasting, thriving design business. I wish you happiness, joy, and success.